Transfer car guidance system

ABSTRACT

A transfer guidance system for a self-propelled stacker having means to raise and rotate a gripping guidance plate on the stacker to place guidance rolls in contact with a guidance rail and thus guide the stacker along the rail.

Unlted States Patent [I51 3,675,589 Hunter 1 July 1 l, 1972 s41 TRANSFER CAR GUIDANCE SYSTEM 3.5l6.558 6/l970 Atwater........................... ..l04/48 x [72] lnvemor: C'lvhl Hunt", Battle Creek Mich 3,536,209 l0/l970 Burch et al. ..2l4/l6.4

g Clark 'l 'l p y Pr imar Examiner-Arthur L La Point [22] Filed; Fe 7 97 Assistant ExaminerH0ward Beltran Attorney-Kenneth C. Witt. John C. Wiessler Robert H Appl' l 5347 Johnson and Lewis J. Lamm [52] U.S. Cl ..l04/247, 104/48, l04/243, [57] ABSTRACT 2|4/ 16.4 5| 1 Int. Cl. ..B60s 13/02, B6 1 j m0, B653 65/02 A gu'dam se'f'pmpe'led hav'ng 5 Field of Search 05 4g so 247 245 2 3; means [0 raise and rotate a gripping guidance plate 011 the 2 I4} I64 stacker to place guidance rolls in contact with a guidance rail and thus guide the stacker along the railv 6 R l Cited [5 7Clains,4DrawingHgures UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,353,501 ll/l967 Kidera et al ..........................105/247 I 1 D a 22 k 4 p 3D P A TEN'TEDJUL H 1972 3.675.589 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG. I

l.\ VENTOR CALVIN W. HUNTER ATTORNEY FIG. 3

2 E no 20;]: 29

r Tu FIG. 4

INVENTOR CALVIN W. HUNTER ATTORN EY TRANSFER CAR GUIDANCE SYSTEM RELATED APPLICATIONS This guidance system is particularly adapted to be used in an automatic storage system such as that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,5 36,209 Burch et al., Automatic Material-Unit Storage and Method, issued Oct. 27, 1970, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a guidance system for selfpropelled vehicles and particularly to guidance systems for stacker cranes used in automatic storage systems having aisles between tiers of bins. Automatic storage systems, such as illustrated in the above-mentioned patent, have a transfer car for carrying the stacker vehicle between aisles and this transfer car has a superstructure with a section of the overhead guidance rail located therein. The stacker vehicle has its guidance rollers fixed and in contact with the section of the guidance rail in the overhead structure. The transfer car is moved to the end of the aisle and a shot pin locking device firmly aligns the superstructure of the transfer car with the bin structure so that the fixed guidance rollers can travel directly onto the end of the guidance rail.

The problem of aligning the guidance roller of a selfpropelled stacker vehicle has existed for some time and solutions have been directed to a means of correctly aligning the rollers with the end of the guidance rail. One attempted solution to this problem is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,353,501 Kidera et al.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTlON In the present invention, a guidance rail is mounted overhead in the aisle to be traversed by a stacker crane in an automatic storage system. The guide rollers which engage this rail are mounted on a guide plate which is carried by the mast, which guide plate may be rotated and moved longitudinally on the mast. To engage the rollers with the guide rail, the mast is first placed under the guide rail, the guide plate raised until the guide rail is located between the rollers, and the plate rotated so that the rollers engage the guide rails. This movement of the guide plate on the mast permits the vehicle to be moved transversely into position underneath the guide rail and thereby be so located as to engage the guide rail at any point along the length of that rail.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a guidance means for self-propelled vehicles in which the guidance relationship may be interposed at any place along the length of the guide rail.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a guidance system for automatic storage stacker vehicles which eliminates the need for a stacker vehicle mast supporting superstructure on transfer carts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an economical, efficient means for connecting a self-propelled stacker crane to a guidance rail.

Other objects of the present invention will be obvious upon reading of the specification and will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring to the figures in the drawing, FIG. 1 is a schematic showing of the environment in which the subject invention is used.

2, 4, 6 and 8 are stacks of bins in an automatic storage system similar to those illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,536,209 mentioned above. The guide rail is located in the center of an aisle between the stacks of bins 2 and 4 and guide rail 12 is likewise located in the aisle between the bins 6 and 8. The transfer cart 14, capable of carrying the self-propelled stacker vehicle 16, travels transversely across the end of the aisles between the storage bins. The guide rails 10 and 12 extend out into the path traversed by the transfer cart. One pair of guide rollers 18 and 20 are located on the stacker vehicle mast nearest the end of the aisle and another pair of guide rollers 22 and 24 are located on the side of the stacker vehicle mast farthest from the end of the aisle. It may thus be seen that these rollers would interfere with the extension of the guide rail unless they were lowered to a position below the guide rail.

Referring to FIG. 2, the guidance means is shown in further detail. The guide rollers 18 and 20 carried by the guide plate 28 is shown as engaging the guide rail 10. The guide rollers 22 and 24 carried by the guide plate 30 are for illustrative purposes shown in the nonengaged position. The guide plate 30 may be rotated clockwise so that the rollers 20 and 24 engage the guide rail 10 to aid in guiding the stacker 16 along a path determined by the guide rail 10. Likewise, the guide plate 28 may be rotated in a counter-clockwise position so as to disengage the guide rollers 18 and 20 from the guide rail I0 to permit their being lowered to a position below the guide rail 10. The guide rollers must all be in the disengaged position and lowered so as to clear the guide rail 10 in order for the transfer cart 14 to move the stacker 16 from the aisle where the guide rail 10 is located to the aisle where the guide rail 12 is located.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a vertical view of the guidance system is illustrated. In FIG. 3, the guide plate 28 is shown in the lowered position with the guide rollers 18 and 20 out of engagement with the guide rail I0. In FIG. 4, the guide plate 28 is shown in the raised position and rotated so that the guide rollers 18 and 20 are engaging the guide rail 10 to permit guidance of the stacker I6 along the center of the aisle. The guide plate 28, in the preferred form of the invention, is a large gear carrying the rollers 18 and 20. This gear is rotated by a smaller gear 29 which is driven by an electric motor 31. This motor is energized to rotate in either direction by an electrical source 33. This entire assembly is supported by a reciprocal carrier 42. The motor 3] has a fixed support to the carrier 42 while the guide plate 28 is rotatably supported on the carrier 42 by the shaft 48. The carrier 42, plus the entire assembly carried thereby, is supported by the shaft 40 which is moved in a vertical direction by the piston 38 in the fluid cylinder 32. The cylinder 32 has a plate 44 thereon with guidance means for the shaft 46 which prevents the carrier 42 from rotating. Fluid hoses 34 and 36 supply fluid under pressure to the cylinder 32 and exhaust the fluid therefrom through a control valve 37 from a pressure source and a dump, not shown. The cylinder 32 is fixed to the stacker I6.

OPERATION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the Figures of the drawing, the stacker 16 carried by the transfer cart 14 is shown with the guide rolls I8 and 20 engaged with the guide rail 10 so that the stacker 16 may be moved off of the transfer cart 14 and down the aisle where the guide rail 10 is located. When it is desired to move the stacker 16 from the aisle including the guide rail 10 to the aisle, including the guide rail 12, the motor 3! is energized to rotate the guide plate 28 to move the guide rollers 18 and 20 out of engagement with the guide rail 10. The assembly is then lowered by introducing fluid through the hose 34 into the cylinder 32 and exhausting fluid through the hose 36. The assembly is then in the rotated and lowered position as shown in FIG. 3. When it is in this position, the rollers 18 and 20 will clear the bottom of the rail 10 so that the transfer cart 14 can move the stacker 16 to a position under the guide rail 12. When the stacker is in this new position, fluid under pressure is introduced through the hose 36 to raise the piston 38 and hence the carrier 42 and the assembly carried thereby into a position whereby the rollers 18 and 20 are radially located with respect to the guide rail 12. The motor 31 is then energized so as to rotate the guide plate 28 in the clockwise position and thereby cause the engagement of the rollers 18 and 20 with the guide rail 12.

We have disclosed and discussed the construction and operation of the mechanism associated with guide rollers 18 and 20, but of course, the guide rollers 20 and 24 are supported and operated by a mechanism of the exact construction and operation as that involved with the rollers 18 and 20.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vehicle guidance system comprising:

a vehicle to be guided,

a guidance rail located a fixed height above said vehicle and extending in the desired direction of motion of said vehicle,

a guide plate mounted on said vehicle,

said guide plate rotatable about and reciprocal on a vertical axis intersecting and normal to the axis of said guidance rail,

a pair of guidance rollers mounted on said guide plate,

said guidance rollers rotatably mounted on axes parallel to, in the same plane as, and disposed on opposite sides of said guidance plate axis,

said roller axes spaced from each other an amount not less than the width of said guidance rail plus the sum of the radii of said rollers,

said guide plates reciprocal in the vertical direction between a position in which the rollers are below said guide rail and a position in which said rollers are in radial alignment with said guide rail,

said guide plates rotatable between a position in which said rollers are in radial alignment with, but spaced from said guide rail, and a position in which said rollers are in contact with said guide rail,

means for sequentially reciprocating said guide plates until said rollers are in radial alignment with said guidance rail and then rotating said guide plates until said rollers are in contact with said guidance rail,

whereby said rolls may be raised to a position in radial alignment with and locked in contact with said guidance rail to thereby guide said vehicle along a path determined by said rail.

2. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 in which:

said pair of guidance rollers mounted on said guide plates are of equal size, and said axes of said rollers are located equidistant from the axis of said guide plate.

3. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 includpower operated means for reciprocating said guide plates.

4. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 includmg:

power operated means for rotating said guide plates. 5. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim I includmg:

power operated means for rotating guide plates.

6. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim I in which:

said vehicle is a floor supported crane for an automatic storage system,

said storage system including a multiplicity of vertically and horizontally disposed bins with an aisle adjacent thereto, and

in which said guidance rail is located in the aisle adjacent said bins and extends in a direction parallel to the face of said bin structure.

7. A vehicle guidance system comprising:

a vehicle to be guided,

a guidance rail located a fixed height above said vehicle and extending in the desired direction of motion of said vehicle,

at least two guide plates mounted on said vehicle, said guide plates spaced from each other in a directlon parallel to the direction of said guidance rail,

each of said guide plates rotatable about and reciprocal on a vertical axis intersecting and normal to the axis of said guidance rail,

a pair of guidance rollers mounted on each of said guide plates,

said guidance rollers rotatably mounted on axes parallel to, in the same plane as, and disposed on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the guide plates upon which said pair of guidance rollers are mounted,

said roller axes spaced from each other on their respective guidance plates an amount not less than the width of said guidance rail plus the sum of the radii of said rollers,

each of said guide plates reciprocal between a position in which the rollers on said guide plates are below said guidance rail and a position in which said rollers are in radial alignment with said guidance rail,

each of said guide plates rotatable between a position in which the rollers mounted thereon are in radial alignment but spaced from said guidance rail and a position in which said rollers are in contact with said guidance rail,

means for reciprocating each of said guide plates until the rollers mounted thereon are in radial alignment with said guidance rail and then rotating said guide plates until said rollers are in contact with said guidance rail,

whereby said rollers are locked in contact with said guidance rail to thereby guide said vehicle along the path determined by said rail.

C I l m t and reciprocating said It] I044 0248 

1. A vehicle guidance system comprising: a vehicle to be guided, a guidance rail located a fixed height above said vehicle and extending in the desired direction of motion of said vehicle, a guide plate mounted on said vehicle, said guide plate rotatable about and reciprocal on a vertical axis intersecting and normal to the axis of said guidance rail, a pair of guidance rollers mounted on said guide plate, said guidance rollers rotatably mounted on axes parallel to, in the same plane as, and disposed on opposite sides of said guidance plate axis, said roller axes spaced from each other an amount not less than the width of said guidance rail plus the sum of the radii of said rollers, said guide plates reciprocal in the vertical direction between a position in which the rollers are below said guide rail and a position in which said rollers are in radial alignment with said guide rail, said guide plates rotatable between a position in which said rollers are in radial alignment with, but spaced from said guide rail, and a position in which said rollers are in contact with said guide rail, means for sequentially reciprocating said guide plates until said rollers are in radial alignment with said guidance rail and then rotating said guide plates until said rollers are in contact with said guidance rail, whereby said rolls may be raised to a position in radial alignment with and locked in contact with said guidance rail to thereby guide said vehicle along a path determined by said rail.
 2. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 in which: said pair of guidance rollers mounted on said guide plates are of equal size, and said axes of said rollers are located equidistant from the axis of said guide plate.
 3. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 including: power operated means for reciprocating said guide plates.
 4. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 including: power operated means for rotating said guide plates.
 5. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 including: power operated means for rotating and reciprocating said guide plates.
 6. A vehicle guidance system as claimed in claim 1 in which: said vehicle is a floor supported crane for an automatic storage system, said storage system including a multiplicity of vertically and horizontally disposed bins with an aisle adjacent thereto, and in which said guidance rail is located in the aisle adjacent said bins and extends in a direction parallel to the face of said bin strUcture.
 7. A vehicle guidance system comprising: a vehicle to be guided, a guidance rail located a fixed height above said vehicle and extending in the desired direction of motion of said vehicle, at least two guide plates mounted on said vehicle, said guide plates spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the direction of said guidance rail, each of said guide plates rotatable about and reciprocal on a vertical axis intersecting and normal to the axis of said guidance rail, a pair of guidance rollers mounted on each of said guide plates, said guidance rollers rotatably mounted on axes parallel to, in the same plane as, and disposed on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the guide plates upon which said pair of guidance rollers are mounted, said roller axes spaced from each other on their respective guidance plates an amount not less than the width of said guidance rail plus the sum of the radii of said rollers, each of said guide plates reciprocal between a position in which the rollers on said guide plates are below said guidance rail and a position in which said rollers are in radial alignment with said guidance rail, each of said guide plates rotatable between a position in which the rollers mounted thereon are in radial alignment but spaced from said guidance rail and a position in which said rollers are in contact with said guidance rail, means for reciprocating each of said guide plates until the rollers mounted thereon are in radial alignment with said guidance rail and then rotating said guide plates until said rollers are in contact with said guidance rail, whereby said rollers are locked in contact with said guidance rail to thereby guide said vehicle along the path determined by said rail. 